This week will likely go down as one of the best weeks for new Xbox Game Pass games in 2024. While the shadow of the subscription service’s price hikes still looms over us, several standout games came out this week and were available as part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog from day one. This week, it’s worth playing three new releases, which offer different yet equally entertaining gameplay experiences.
First, a new game from Capcom mixes action, tower defense, and unique aesthetics to create something truly special. Next up is a thought-provoking action-adventure game from Microbird Games and Curve Games that delivers both compelling gameplay and an engaging story about how tourism can affect a small town. Finally, for those who just want to relax, a new game from Hollow Ponds and Annapurna Interactive will scratch that itch with its latest title.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
I’ve been singing Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess‘ praises ever since I played it at Summer Game Fest and fell in love with its unique gameplay. In most of Kunitsu-Gami’s levels, the primary goal is to guide a maiden along a spirit path until she reaches and purifies a defiled torii. The game runs on a day-night cycle, though. At night, supernatural enemies called the Seethe come out and try to attack the maiden. To protect her, players not only have to fight them head-on with hack-and-slash combat but assign villagers roles and command them to defend the maiden.
It’s a tower defense game in which the tower and all of the units defending it are constantly moving, so Kunitsu-Gami does a fantastic job keeping players on their toes. On top of all that, I adore its colorful art style, excellent soundtrack, and story that says quite a lot despite not having much dialogue. It’s a truly special game unlike anything else on Xbox Game Pass and a must-play for anyone interested in its unique gameplay combination.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and cloud starting today. It’s also available on PS4 and PS5.
Dungeons of Hinterberg
Dungeons of Hinterberg might be an immediate eye-catcher because of its cel-shaded art style, but it’s more than just a looker. It’s a smart action-adventure game set in a small town in the Alps. It tells the story of a woman named Luisa who’s escaped her big city life and job and is trying to rediscover herself while traveling to a magic-filled village. That story comes with a surprisingly deep commentary on tourism and its effect on small towns. It’s a grounded and relatable story that stands out as one of the best of the year.
On top of all that, it’s pretty fun to play. As its title suggests, you’ll be exploring dungeons scattered around this small town, each of which features puzzles that feel like they could’ve been pulled straight out of a fantastic The Legend of Zelda game. Dungeons of Hinterberg very easily could’ve been just yet another Zelda-inspired indie game but it features enough interesting ideas and nuance in its narrative for me to highly recommend it.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate across PC, Xbox Series X/S, and cloud.
Flock
If you don’t want to put a lot of mental energy into Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess or Dungeons of Hinterberg, then the breezier Flock may be more your speed. It’s a game where players can calmly and freely roam around vibrant environments, looking for creatures that they can document in their field guide. Once that happens, many of these creatures can even follow you as part of your flock, and you can even play the game in co-op and have fun building up flocks with your friends.
Whether you enjoy doing things like birding in real life or just enjoy games like New Pokémon Snap, Flock is the latest relaxing game that can scratch that creature-documenting itch. It really removes all barriers that difficulty could cause, too, as players don’t have to worry about the elevation they are flying at and will even be properly guided to whatever the right answer for a creature in their field guide is. If that all sounds nice to you, then you’ll probably have an amazing time with Flock.
Flock is available now for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers across PC and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also on PS4 and PS5.
